The Lords Portion of the Land

45 “Now when you (A)divide the land by lot for inheritance, you shall offer [a]an (B)allotment to the Lord, a (C)holy portion of the land; the length shall be a length of twenty-five thousand [b](D)cubits, and the width shall be [c]twenty thousand. It shall be holy within its entire surrounding boundary. Out of this there shall be for the sanctuary a square encompassing (E)five hundred by five hundred cubits, and fifty cubits for its [d](F)open space round about. From this [e]area you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand cubits and a width of ten thousand cubits; and in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It shall be the holy portion of the land; it shall be for the (G)priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who (H)come near to serve the Lord, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. An area (I)twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, and for their possession [f]cities in which to live.

“And you shall give the (J)city possession of an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand cubits long, alongside the [g]allotment of the holy portion; it shall be for the entire house of Israel.

Portion for the Prince

“And the (K)prince shall have land on either side of the holy [h]allotment and the [i]property of the city, adjacent to the holy [j]allotment and the [k]property of the city, on the west side toward the west and on the east side toward the east, and in length comparable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. This shall be his land as a possession in Israel; so My princes shall no longer (L)oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel (M)according to their tribes.”

‘This is what the Lord [l]God says: “(N)Enough, you princes of Israel; get rid of (O)violence and destruction, and (P)practice justice and righteousness. Revoke your (Q)evictions of My people,” declares the Lord God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:1 Or a contribution
  2. Ezekiel 45:1 Each of these cubits equals about 21 in. or 53 cm
  3. Ezekiel 45:1 As in LXX; MT 10,000
  4. Ezekiel 45:2 Or pasture land
  5. Ezekiel 45:3 Lit measure
  6. Ezekiel 45:5 As in LXX; MT twenty chambers
  7. Ezekiel 45:6 Or contribution
  8. Ezekiel 45:7 Or contribution
  9. Ezekiel 45:7 Lit possession
  10. Ezekiel 45:7 Or contribution
  11. Ezekiel 45:7 Lit possession
  12. Ezekiel 45:9 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch

The Holy District

45 “Moreover, when you (A)divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall (B)set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around. Of this there shall be a square plot for the sanctuary, (C)five hundred by five hundred rods, with fifty cubits around it for an open space. So this is the district you shall measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide; (D)in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It shall be (E)a holy section of the land, belonging to the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the Lord; it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. (F)An area twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the [a]temple; they shall have (G)twenty[b] chambers as a possession.

Properties of the City and the Prince

(H)“You shall appoint as the property of the city an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, adjacent to the district of the holy section; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

(I)“The prince shall have a section on one side and the other of the holy district and the city’s property; and bordering on the holy district and the city’s property, extending westward on the west side and eastward on the east side, the length shall be side by side with one of the tribal portions, from the west border to the east border. The land shall be his possession in Israel; and (J)My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel, according to their tribes.”

Laws Governing the Prince

‘Thus says the Lord God: (K)“Enough, O princes of Israel! (L)Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people,” says the Lord God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 45:5 Lit. house
  2. Ezekiel 45:5 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX a possession, cities of dwelling